Most homeowners or commercial building owners have suffered some level of water damage at one time or another. More often than not, it is water damage that occurs slowly through minute leaks and across time. These slow leaks are important to catch as soon as possible for three reasons. First, they are often precursors to catastrophic failures. Catastrophic line failures can only be effectively handled if there are personnel onsite when the failure occurs. Second, the water from slow leaks can find its way to a plethora of locations, some quite distant from the location. Along its path, it can rot, weaken or destroy vast amounts of property as often these type of leaks go undetected for months or even years until the damage becomes extensive enough to be seen. Third, with very slow leaks the surrounding building materials such as drywall, insulation, flooring, etc., can absorb and wick up the moisture resulting in the growth of black mold or other respiratory nightmares.
Presently, there are leak detection systems that can be located adjacent areas prone to leaking, such as under sinks, washing machines, hot water tanks, refrigerators and dishwashers. These require vigilance to ensure their batteries are good. If AC powered, these units are useless in a power outage, if the breaker is opened or if the unit is not firmly plugged in. These units are cumbersome, and if they generate an audible alarm, require the presence of someone to act upon the notification. These types of units are unsightly and often require special wiring or extension cords to power. Lastly, if there are multiple leak prone spots about the building, the owner must bear the costs of several complete devices.
Henceforth, a remote leak detection notification system that could be used in multiple locations where power is not readily available, would fulfill a long-felt need in the leak detection industry. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this.